My Grandmother
by eighteen inches
Summary: "Why aren't you more like your father?" Those words echoed through his head...he couldn't shake them.


My Grandmother

"Why aren't you more like your father?"

"Why aren't you more like your father?"

_More like your father. More like your father…_

Those words echoed over and over in Neville's head. He just couldn't get rid of them. It felt like they were somehow glued there and no matter what he did, he couldn't forget them. Maybe it was because everything he did, his grandmother compared to his father, and she would always tell him the same thing. That he wasn't good enough for the Longbottom name.

He sighed. He wished that his Grandmother hadn't always had to do that, but she had and he had to deal with that.

Sometimes he hated being compared to his parents because it was always the same outcome. That he was nothing like him. It didn't bother him a lot when others said it, but it hurt the most whenever his grandmother said it. It hurt every time his grandmother criticized him, because then the words never left him. They stayed with him and haunted him.

Especially the day she said those words to him out of the blue. It was one the most vivid memories he had, and he knew as long as he lived, he would never forget it. It would be with him forever.

* * *

"_Why aren't you more like your father?" Augusta Longbottom said, staring at Neville as she entered the living room. She stopped when she was standing on the other side of the coffee table in front of him. _

_It was the summer between his fourth and fifth years of Hogwarts and he was sitting on the couch, in the Longbottom house, tending to a plant that sat on the coffee table. Upon hearing his grandmother, he averted his attention from the plant to look up at her. He didn't want her to get mad because he wasn't giving her his full attention while she was talking to him, like she'd done once or twice before. He didn't want there to be a third time, she might be even madder. _

"_I—I—I—I," Neville stuttered, trying to find something to say, but he stopped, he wasn't sure what to say. Actually, he didn't even know what he should say to that. What do you say to your grandmother who doesn't think you're good enough? So, he just kept quiet, but he didn't take his eyes off his grandmother. He wouldn't dare take his eyes off her at this point. _

_There was just a small part of him that couldn't help but wonder what had brought this on. She hadn't said anything to him before, but that didn't mean that she hadn't been thinking it, which she could have been._

_Augusta just scoffed and walked back past her grandson to look out of the window. "You do realize that you lack all the talents that your parents had when they were your age. They always got the best marks in potions, charms and defense." She spoke, not turning around. "You always get the lowest marks in those subjects….you know, you'll never become an Auror if you keep doing horrible in those classes."_

"_I'm just not that great at charms or defensive spells, and Professor Snape hates me," Neville said, quietly. "Not that he likes anyone who isn't in Slytherin, "he added, even more quietly. He took a breath, "and I never said I wanted to be an Auror, Gran, " he said, in his normal tone, gaining a bit more strength._

_Cause he'd actually hadn't even thought of what he wanted to do after he left Hogwarts, but he did know that it would have something to do with Herbology. It was what he loved doing, after all. _

_Augusta turned around, "And you haven't even told anyone why you have to live with me, have you?" she asked as if Neville hadn't said anything, or maybe she hadn't even heard half of what he'd said at all. He barely spoke louder than a whisper for half of it. And she most likely just didn't want to believe he hadn't said the last part._

_Why would she be bringing this up? What's the point? Neville thought. He didn't see it. He shook his head and turned back to his plant on the table in front of him. He just wanted this conversation to be over just as quickly as it had started. _

"_I didn't think so," she continued, shaking her head and walking back over to the door that led to the hallway, "Ashamed of your parents, are you, boy? Just image what they would think, if only they could even bother to understand." She added before she exited the room, mumbling to herself. _

_Neville only looked back up when she had finally left the room and sighed before picking up the Herbology book from the table. He opened the book and started reading, trying to forget the conversation that had just happened. _

_Why did she always have to do things like that?_

* * *

But that wasn't true, none of it was. Why would he be ashamed of his parents? That was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. They were the bravest people he ever knew. They were Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix who wouldn't give up the information that Bellatrix wanted. Even after being under the Cruciatus Curse, and who would forever be in St. Mungo's for it. They also had to suffer a faith that was far worse than death.

And Neville was very proud of them because of that. That they stood up for what they believed in and he wouldn't dare wish for parents any different. In his mind, he had the best parents someone could have and he wouldn't change who his parents were for the world.

He just didn't like talking about it to anyone. He hadn't even thought about telling anyone until he'd found Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione in St. Mungo's that day in the middle of his fifth year, when his grandmother had told them.

That day was also still fresh in his mind. Although, he was a happier memory and he was glad to have friends as supportive as they were.

* * *

"_Is that the truth, Neville?" Ginny asked. _

_Why did she tell them? Neville thought as he looked up at his four closest friends he had at Hogwarts._

"_I guess I'll leave you five be, then." August said, before walking around the corner, back towards the main waiting room, to give them privacy._

_Neville nodded. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "That they'll forever be stuck in St. Mungo's because Bellatrix, Rabastan and Rudolphus Lestrange tortured them into insanity for not giving up the information they wanted? Yeah, it's true."_

"_Wow, I could never image what it felt like when you finally understand what had happened to them," Hermione said._

"_You must be proud to have parents that strong, mate." Ron told him. _

_Neville nodded again. "Yeah, I am actually…I'm proud to be their son. They were strong enough to stand up for what they believed in against three Death Eaters. Not very many people could say they've done that."_

_Hermione nodded."Well, that is true."_

"_How come you haven't mentioned this to us before?" Harry asked him, suddenly curious. Although, Neville had mentioned something to Harry before now, but he hadn't said anything and he wasn't going to start now. _

_Neville just shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I just haven't….I just really haven't thought about it all that much. And I just haven't really been comfortable talking about them. If it wasn't for my grandmother just now, you all probably wouldn't have found out."_

"_It's alright, Neville." Ginny said. "But, you know you can always talk to us about anything if you need to, right? You know that we'll always be here for you."_

_Neville nodded and gave a small smile. "Thanks guys. You're the best friends a guy could ask for."_

* * *

_Maybe, it's your fault._

Those words had echoed inside Augusta's head, over and over as she stared out of the window from her seat in the living room.

She remembered the letter she'd gotten from Remus Lupin about Neville's boggart lesson from his third year. How the boggart had turned into Professor Snape and had ended up in her clothes; and also how he hadn't wanted the boggart to turn into her.

_Was Neville really that afraid of me?_ she thought. _Was he really so afraid of me that his boggart could have possibly had the slightest chance to turn into me?_

"It's your fault," she told herself, after she had finished re-reading the letter.

_All those times you criticized Neville for the stupidest reasons. You shouldn't have done that. You should have praised him for doing well in the subjects that he was interested in. And you should have realized that he's his own person. That he's not his parents. That's he's Neville and you wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the world. He's your grandson and you should have been proud of him._

_You should have told him how proud you were—are of him. Praised him for all the wonderful marks he'd gotten in Herbology and all the letters you'd gotten from Pomona Sprout about his wonderful work in class. _

_So he wasn't completely afraid of you as a person…_ she went on. _H__e was just afraid of what horrible thing you would say next._

"What have I done?" she asked herself.

* * *

Even after three years, the memory was still fresh in her mind and it made her crack a small smile. They had come so far in those three years.

She was ashamed of how she treated Neville when he was younger. She shouldn't have done that to him. She shouldn't have compared him to Alice and Frank. Of course he wasn't exactly like his parents, but he came pretty close. Especially after his involvement in the battle of the Department of Mysteries and she was proud of him.

Now it was the time of a war and Neville was far away at Hogwarts. Only it wasn't really Hogwarts anymore; Dumbledore was gone and Voldemort had taken over. And she was on the run after putting Auror Dawlish in St. Mungo's when he tried to capture her to make Neville behave at school.

She knew that he was giving the Carrows hell and she couldn't have been more proud of her grandson. He really was his parent's son. After everything that he's done, he deserved the Longbottom name and she was completely foolish for thinking otherwise.

* * *

"I'm really proud of you, Neville," Augusta said when she'd found Neville after the final battle. "I know your parents would be too if they could understand everything that you've done. I couldn't have asked for a better grandson and they couldn't have a better son."

Neville smiled. "Thank you, Gran. That really means a lot, especially because it's coming from you."

"Because of you and your friends, the Wizarding World is now free of fear from Voldemort and his Death Eaters," Augusta said. "You've followed in your parent's footsteps and I couldn't be prouder."

As he looked at his Grandmother then, all the memories of the past few years all came back to him. And he was honestly grateful that she had criticized him. For some reason he figured that was why he was the person he was today. He had spent the last three years trying to prove to his grandmother that he deserves the Longbottom name and because of it, he felt stronger.

"And I'm sorry for everything I've done," she added, after a while.

Neville just shook his head. "Don't be."

Augusta stood there, staring at him, confused.

"I just took everything that you did to be your way of trying to toughen me up," Neville explained. "And now, I'm actually glad that you did it."

"Well, you really are a Longbottom, then, aren't you, " she told him, hugging him. "And you proved that, to me and to everyone."

* * *

AN: Written for the "Friendship/Family one hour challenge" on HPFC with the prompts, Free, "it's your fault," Longbottom home and the title: My Grandmother.

This is also the first time with me writing Neville and Augusta and I really hope you enjoyed it enough to leave a comment about it(:

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter as I am not Joanne Rowling.


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